‘The Great Mouse Detective’ Gets 40th Anniversary Discussion at LightBox Expo | Exclusive

On October 23-25, 2025, the LightBox Expo at the Pasadena Convention Center will host a special 40th anniversary discussion for the beloved animated film, "The Great Mouse Detective." Directors Ron Clements and John Musker will share behind-the-scenes stories, creative insights, and reflections on the film's lasting legacy, which helped initiate the Disney Renaissance era.

The panel, moderated by Nick Manfredi, will delve into the similarities between the mouse detective Basil and the renowned Sherlock Holmes, as well as Basil's adventures in solving a mystery involving the world's greatest criminal mind, Ratigan. After the success of "The Great Mouse Detective," Clements and Musker went on to create some other notable Disney classics, including "The Little Mermaid" (1989), "Aladdin" (1992), "Hercules" (1997), and "Treasure Planet" (2002).

Their last collaboration was "Moana" (2009), which was recently remade with Dwayne Johnson. In 2023, Musker released a hand-animated short film titled "I'm Hip." This year, Musker made a return to animation as an advisory role for Walt Disney Animation Studios. Clements' book, "Making Disney Magic... from a Mermaid to Moana – Tales of a Disney Animation Director," will be published on October 13, 2025. The complete 2026 LightBox Expo schedule will be revealed later.